chandelier

American  

[shan-dl-eer] / ˌʃæn dlˈɪər /

noun

• chandeliers
  plural

1. a decorative, sometimes ornate, light fixture suspended from a ceiling, usually having branched supports for a number of lights.

---

chandelier British  

/ ˌʃændɪˈlɪə /

noun

1. an ornamental hanging light with branches and holders for several candles or bulbs

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• chandeliered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• chandeliers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of chandelier

1655–65; < French: literally, something that holds candles; see chandler

Explanation

A chandelier is a fancy light fixture that is often ornate and hanging suspended in the middle of a formal space. Walk into a grand ballroom and see a light fixture adorned with sparkling crystals? That's a chandelier. The word chandelier comes from the French candere meaning "be white, glisten." Look up at a chandelier and you'll see it glistening and casting white reflections on the walls. The French origin of the word might call up images of palaces like Versailles in France, where chandeliers hang in nearly every room.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chandelier chandeliers

One of the more distinctive interior details is a bubble-style chandelier in the living space.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

Four larger cylinders were positioned on a rotating carousel in a configuration resembling four candlesticks on an old-fashioned chandelier.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

A group of people were gathered around a large dining table beneath a massive chandelier of antler, a tableau that evoked some kind of Viking summit.

From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026

A "nearly forgotten" historic streetlamp that once stood outside on 23rd Street has been reimagined as a chandelier in the lobby, Sofield said.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

I pictured the dining room dark, the chandelier laced in cobwebs, and the table covered in a fine layer of dust.

From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys

Uniformed doormen greet guests at the entrance, while chandeliers, fireplaces and classic architectural details reinforce the hotel’s historic character.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026

The Palm Room foyer was decked in marble and chandeliers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

Under ornate glass chandeliers, he boasted to cameras that his Tokyo-based technology conglomerate would unleash at least $52 billion of investment in French data centers, part of his global AI spending spree.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

However, Lopez’s newly renovated space has a much brighter color palette, with a marble fireplace, pale green walls, gold chandeliers, and painted beams.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026

Enormous crystal chandeliers hung shimmering from high, ornately plastered ceilings.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown